Overview

The Coastcare Victoria Community Grant program supports community organisations to protect and enhance the coastal and nearshore marine environment.

The 2022-2023 grants program is funded by the Victorian Government’s VicCoasts initiative which seeks to build community capacity to support a safer, healthier and more resilient marine and coastal environment.

The 2022-2023 VicCoasts grant program aims to support the three pillars in the Coastcare Victoria Strategy 2021-2026

Coastcare Victoria Strategy 2021-2026, (PDF, 1.8 MB) including:

  • Pillar 1. Marine and Coastal Stewardship - conservation, rehabilitation, restoration and preventative actions for Victoria’s coastal and marine ecosystems.
  • Pillar 2. Thriving Marine and Coastal Community Groups and Networks - supporting community organisations to diversify, plan for the future and be responsive to change.
  • Pillar 3. Victorians Valuing the Coast - supporting community participation, engagement and education to enhance community knowledge and understanding of coastal and marine management.

Funding

The Victorian Government is providing funding up to $210,000 for the 2022-2023 VicCoasts Coastcare Victoria Community Grants Program.

In 2022-2023, grants of up to $10,000 per project are available.

Projects fit into one of three streams on offer including:

  • Stewardship and Education.
  • Strengthening our Volunteer Groups.
  • Supporting Traditional Owner Self-Determination.

Eligibility

The following community groups and organisations with a focus on marine and coastal environments were eligible for funding:

  • Coastcare Victoria groups
  • Aboriginal groups and organisations, land councils, trusts and co-operatives working on-country
  • Landcare groups
  • ‘Friends of’ groups
  • Field naturalist groups
  • Non-government community organisations
  • Community service organisations and clubs
  • Coastal Committees of Management
  • Educational institutions including schools and universities (recommended to partner with local coastal volunteer group).

To be eligible for funding applicants must be:

  • an incorporated association registered through Consumer Affairs Victoria (check here: www.consumer.vic.gov.au) or other state incorporating agency; or
  • a registered as a not-for-profit organisation with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (check here: ACNC www.acnc.gov.au); or
  • a coastal Committee of Management incorporated under the Crown Land (Reserves) Act 1978; or
  • a Registered Aboriginal Party under the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006, or
  • an educational institution.

AND

  • submission of certificate of insurance demonstrating provision of sufficient insurance as determined by the appointed land manager to safeguard volunteers and participants involved in the funded activities, including public liability insurance of at least $10million and personal accident insurance. Please Note - where your Land Manager's insurance covers your group (for example Parks Victoria), please upload the Letter of Support in place of the Certificate of Insurance in the Grants Online Portal Application Form. If your group has a similar arrangement please discuss with a Coastcare Victoria Facilitator.

Groups and organisations that do not meet the above requirements can still apply for funding but must operate under the auspices of a sponsor organisation. You will be required to supply written approval (such as supporting letter) from your auspice (sponsor) as part of your application.

How to apply

Applications consist of:

  • Completion of an online form. See our website for a MS Word document template of this form for drafting your application prior to copying it into the online form.
  • Completion of a multi-tab MS Excel spreadsheet. This needs to be uploaded to the DEECA Grants Online portal.
  • Supporting documentation uploaded to the DEECA Grants Online portal. Applications are submitted online using the DEECA Grants Online portal.
  1. Strengthening our Volunteer Groups, go to: https://deeca.my.site.com/publicform?id=a0h8u000000U9t1
  1. Supporting Traditional Owner Self-Determination, go to: https://deeca.my.site.com/publicform?id=a0h8u000000U9t6

To access existing draft or submitted applications, go to: https://deeca.my.site.com

You will need to register for an account prior to commencing your application. You will receive an application number after you apply online. Please quote this number in all communications with DEECA relating to your application.

Timeline

Applications open

Thursday 16 February 2023

Applications close

Thursday 30 March 2023, 5.00pm AEDT

Successful applicants notified

June 2023

Project activities commence

1 July 2023

Project activities completed and acquittal reports submitted

1 June 2024

Guidelines and other documents

Project design and development resources

Useful resources for the planning and development of your grant project.

Assistance Facilitators can provide

Facilitators can help potential applicants with:

  • Finding and interpreting key points in the Guidelines that are particularly relevant to your project.
  • Clarifying whether your group is eligible or may need to find an auspice to sponsor their application.
  • Clarifying whether your project is eligible. For instance, if you think one of your project activities or budget items may fall under one of the types listed under ‘ineligible activities and budget items’, but you’re not sure, contact a Coastcare Victoria facilitator with your scenario so they can confirm whether the activity or budget item is ineligible.
  • Discussing any concerns you have about whether your project is suitable for Coastcare Victoria Community Grant funding.
  • Pointing to relevant resources to support your project design.
  • Asking key questions to support you in developing your application responses.
  • Problems with creating a map using MapShare (online program used to develop a map of your site for projects with on-ground works or events being held on public land).
  • Brokering a relationship with your relevant Traditional Owners.
  • Advising which public agency is the Land Manager for your project site. There may be multiple Land Managers across your project site. Sometimes it is unclear where boundaries between Land Managers are located and the Land Manager can change.
  • Any queries about Land Manager/s consent.
  • How to comply with the legal requirements of your funding agreement (if your application is successful).

Application tips, ideas and inspiration

Video: Grant application tips (9:07) - watch here

Naomi Wells from Bellarine Catchment Network (BCN) shares the key elements of their successful 2019 Coastcare Victoria grant application.

Click for video

Video: Project ideas (9:30) - watch here

Port Phillip EcoCentre - Neil Blake and Reiko Yamada of the Port Phillip EcoCentre share some citizen science and community engagement projects from the past 10 years

Click to watch

Coastcare Victoria Contacts

Far South West

Corinne Donohue
0456 742 468 
corinne.donohue@delwp.vic.gov.au

Bellarine and Surf Coast

Shaya Kaartinen-Price
0436 604 127
shaya.kaartinen-price@delwp.vic.gov.au

Port Phillip Bay and Westernport

Irene Brouwer
0429 859 365
irene.brouwer@delwp.vic.gov.au

South Gippsland

Laura Town-Hopkinson
0427 818 683
laura.town-hopkinson@delwp.vic.gov.au

East Gippsland

coastcare.victoria@delwp.vic.gov.au

Grants Officer

Annie Moreillon
03 8508 0231
annie.moreillon@delwp.vic.gov.au

Coastcare Victoria Coordinator

Johanna Tachas
0427 268 169
johanna.tachas@delwp.vic.gov.au

Coastcare Community Grants recipients

2022-23 Coastcare Victoria Community Grants recipients

Coastcare Victoria have awarded a record 27 grants worth nearly $240,000 through the 2022-23 Coastcare Victoria Community Grants program.

The Coastcare Victoria Community Grants program supports community organisations to protect and enhance the coastal and near-shore marine environment. The 2022-23 grants program is funded by Victoria’s Great Outdoors which seeks to build community capacity, support community adaptation, and improve ecosystem resilience to climate change.

Stream 1: Stewardship and Education

To build community capacity, support community adaptation and improve ecosystem resilience to climate change through actions which:

  • Conserve, rehabilitate, restore and protect Victoria's coastal and marine ecosystems
  • Support community participation, engagement and education to enhance community knowledge and understanding of coastal and marine management.
OrganisationProject
Australian Marine Mammal Conservation Foundation Ltd

Connected Coastal Communities: Marine Education to Inspire the Next Generation

Marine Mammal Foundation (MMF) is a world-leader in science education, educating communities in our innovative and award-winning programs providing greater understanding of Victorian coastal environments, empowering positive action for community-driven conservation. Targeting young people, our project supports opportunities for 15 Victorian schools to engage in MMF’s immersive self-guided curriculum-linked Marine Science Online Course. This project also supports the development and distribution of 1,000 MMF Marine Mammals Activity Workbooks across coastal communities to further maximise engagement. This project engages Victorian communities in unique learning experiences, inspires appreciation, fosters connection, and creates greater understanding of coastal environmental values, empowering youth-led action for conservation.

Otway Ocean Care

Community Education for Community Conservation

Several speakers will be invited to give presentations on the ecology and biodiversity of reefs and rockpools in the local Southern Otway region including describing safe practices when exploring marine systems. This project will provide: the public with a discounted diving and underwater photography course; a quarterly ‘BioBlitz’ communal citizen science field survey in accompaniment with the Marine Research Group of the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria; and the necessary equipment for our group for projects and events.

OzFish Unlimited

Turning the Tide for Westernport Mangroves

Mangroves sequester carbon, filter nutrients, and provide coastal protection and habitat. Westernport mangroves are amongst the world's southernmost forests and are critical to the Ramsar listed wetland area. Clearing and sedimentation have resulted in a decline in mangroves in Westernport. Unfortunately, the Westernport community's perception of mangroves is often negative, acting as a barrier to restoration. OzFish will engage the community on the importance of mangroves via one seminar, one mangrove walkthrough, one video, flyers and social media. We will then host two community planting days at Rhyll, Phillip Island, generating community stewardship of the local mangrove environment.

Threatened Species Conservancy

Coastal Butterfly Conservation through Community Engagement

Butterfly citizen science projects are an invaluable way to engage communities. There is little known about coastal butterfly communities in Victoria, despite coastal habitats being an important stronghold for vulnerable species. With a strong community engagement focus, the Threatened Species Conservancy will survey coastal habitats around Apollo Bay to assess coastal butterfly communities. This will: build an understanding of the management needs for coastal butterfly communities; assist local nurseries in plant selection for revegetation projects that will enrich coastal environments; and plant an indigenous butterfly ‘demo’ garden in a public community space.

Swan Bay Environment Association

Queenscliffe Coastal Weed Removal Program

Swan Bay Environment Association has been involved in removal of coastal weeds in the Borough of Queenscliffe (BoQ), in association with Bellarine Catchment Network (BCN), for a number of years. To increase the effectiveness of this program this project will:

1. Increase the number of volunteers contributing.

2. Increase the frequency of weeding at focal points in Pt Lonsdale and Queenscliff from monthly to weekly.

3. Conduct experiments to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of weed removal.

4. In conjunction with the BoQ and BCN, establish a committee to coordinate weeding in Queenscliff based partly on GIS based weed maps.

Harmers Haven Residents & Ratepayers Group: Friends of Harmers Haven

Controlling Boneseed at Harmers Haven —a Weed of National Significance

This project seeks to assertively manage and control the invading weed Boneseed (Chrysanthemoides monilifera) at Harmers Haven. Boneseed is a Weed of National Significance (WONS). It is regarded as one of the worst weeds in Australia because of its invasiveness, potential for spread, and economic and environmental impacts. Boneseed has become an aggressive invader of Victorian coastal foreshores. The Yallock-Bulluk Marine and Coastal Park, of which Harmers Haven’s rare regional remnant vegetation is a significant asset for all Victorians, needs to be protected from WONS such as Boneseed in order to maintain high biodiversity values within the Coastal Park.

Port Phillip EcoCentre

St Kilda Breakwater Penguin-Proof Plant Guard Trial

St Kilda breakwater penguins needing nesting material pull up new plants before they establish secure roots. Construction of 12 ‘penguin-proof plant guards’ in October 2022 will enable ‘late spring’ and ‘early autumn’ indigenous plantings within penguin-proof guards and an equivalent number of unguarded plants.

Middle Park beach is subject to erosion by rip currents generated by waves passing around St Kilda breakwater, necessitating beach renourishment every 7-10 years. This project will plant Knobby Club-rush (Ficinia nodosa) and Coast Speargrass (Austrostipa stipoides) in the existing dune.

Friends of the Hooded Plover (Mornington Peninsula) Inc

Hoodie Who? Raising the Awareness of Pre-schoolers to Hooded Plovers

The Hooded Plover is a vulnerable beach nesting bird that breeds on our ocean beaches. Our group protects their nests and chicks with portable fences and signs. This project will provide early childhood educators with information and resources to promote Hooded Plover awareness in 4 to 9 year old children; focusing on the recognition of the portable protective management that we use. We will provide digital and paper resources for teachers to support children’s learning, promoting positive behaviour change through information, dramatic play and activities. In addition, we will produce re-usable corflute signs that promote public awareness of chicks on beaches.

Merrivale Community Association

Totally Wild

Merrivale Community Association hosts an annual event, which has been dubbed the Sustainable Scarecrow Trail. This interactive community exhibition encourages residents to create and display scarecrows made of repurposed materials found around the home. This year our theme is ‘Totally Wild’. This theme is centred around beach clean-up days along Warrnambool wild coast precinct, storing marine debris on land and hosting education workshops. These workshops will educate people about our marine debris issues and allow people to use these materials to make their own ‘sustainable scarecrow’ to be included in the trail.

Surf Beach Sunderland Bay Coastcare Group

Surf Beach Sunderland Bay Coastal Reserve Interpretive Trail Signage

Interpretive signage and interactives will be placed at Surfies Point and along the boardwalk to Sunderland Bay to help locals and visitors understand and appreciate: indigenous cultural heritage; unique coastal geomorphology; biodiversity values of local flora and fauna; threats caused by rabbits; and actions being taken by Surf Beach Sunderland Bay Coastcare Group and Phillip Island Nature Parks (PINP), such as protecting the area via a rabbit proof fence. Community education and engagement will be facilitated through QR codes on signs linked to webpage information e.g., volunteer working bees, citizen science projects, monitoring using photo points and how to reduce the threat of rabbits.

Fishcare East Gippsland Inc

"What Lives Under the Water -  Gippsland Lakes"

Fishcare East Gippsland (Fishcare EG) deliver sustainable fishing workshops to the local primary schools, secondary schools, and the wider community that focus on: fishing regulations for the local fish species; fish handling; and hook removal. Fishcare EG has identified that the local schools are looking for additional educational information regarding local native fish habitats that aligns with their curriculum. This project will create a new educational workshop that delivers key messages about the different fish habitats within the Gippsland Lakes and the importance of healthy habitats to individual native fish species and the threats of pest species.

South West Environmental Education Inc

Fawthrop Lagoon, Leywhollot, Estuarine Community Education Project

This project’s priority is to value add to the preliminary awareness raised about this important estuarine community by building on our previous work at this site. Adjunct endemic plantings and related additional educational material will both include community engagement. Previously focused on revegetation with endemic species, this project builds on the interest generated by the Nature Trail Brochure we produced for the area through the development of a children's version and an indigenous food and fibre brochure. These will be designed to highlight this area's natural attributes and provide passive recreational engagement to all ages and abilities.

McCrae Homestead Coastal Group Inc

Discovery Days Building Community Capacity

This project will support the establishment of a series of on-ground Discovery Days for families with the aim of raising awareness about environmental rehabilitation and protection of the McCrae foreshore. Beginning with a Foreshore Walk with a local indigenous person and a Bush Art Day. Activities will include: learning about the history of the McCrae area; how indigenous people care/d for country; bush foods; how plants were/are used for making implements; the importance of re-establishing coastal vegetation indigenous to McCrae; and Bush Art weaving. The grant will also support continued stewardship of an area revegetated under a previous Coastcare grant.

Westernport & Peninsula Protection Council

Get Involved! Westernport's Special Worlds and how to Protect them

This project will provide inspiring information to interested community members and encourage volunteering to protect Westernport Bay and coastal areas. This project will create an engaging 20-minute video that provides up-to-date and interesting information on the unique ecosystems of Westernport Bay’s marine and coastal life and habitat, its many uses and benefits, and current threats. It will also provide ‘What can I do?” information on individual citizen science tools and resources, further reading, and highlight local environmental group contacts for hands-on and all-abilities volunteering work. We will promote and launch the video through social media and an event as well as sharing the video with other groups.

Eco Warriors Australia Inc

A Salty Subject: Ecology of the Endangered Plant Lepidium desvauxii

Lepidium desvauxii, Bushy Peppercress, is a rare plant restricted to fragmented coastal wetlands in Victoria; the species is listed under the Flora & Fauna Guarantee Act as Endangered. Currently little is known of the ecology of this species, and there is no Recovery Plan.

This project will investigate the ecology, physiology, and distribution of L. desvauxii in three disjunct populations in Gippsland, Victoria. The project will lead to a greater understanding of this species and its role in the ecosystem. The results may contribute to the development of a robust Recovery Plan and inform future conservation and restoration actions.

Warrnambool Coastcare Landcare Network Inc.

Thunder Point Coastal Reserve Conservation Project

This project will involve works in revegetation and invasive flora and fauna control, which all pose ongoing threats to the area. This project will also further enhance the continuing seabird biodiversity monitoring efforts on Middle Island, especially with regards to breeding populations of little penguins and short-tailed shearwaters, which in recent years have suffered decimation resulting from canid predation. Through these actions, we aim to restore the environment to a more natural state and involve the community in citizen science, thereby continuing to establish and deepen Warrnambool Coastcare Landcare Network’s relationships with various stakeholders.

Merricks Beach Foreshore Reserve Committee of Management

Learning to (coast) care for Merricks Beach

This project will create educational marine-based materials for locals and school children. These materials will cover a broad range of local plant species in the area, issues and challenges and what locals can do to help and how to volunteer. The project will deliver these educational topics through social media, a walk and talk tour, tree planting and beach clean ups.

Queenscliff Cruising Yacht Club

Rehabilitation and Revegetation of the Coastal Environment at the QCYC

The project aims to support the rehabilitation and re-vegetation of disturbed areas of the Queenscliff Cruising Yacht Club (QCYC) through the planting of endemic plant species. The planting forms part of the remediation works on the causeway and lease boundary batter which integrates with a native vegetation environment. The planting will be undertaken by QCYC volunteers and plants will be staked and guarded initially for protection from browsing animals.

Friends of the Beleura Cliff Path

Plant Numerous Small Spaces

This project will continue the indigenous vegetation program of Beleura Cliff. There are many areas of modestly sloping woody weeds (Polygala and Boneseed especially) that we don't want to clear in one hit. A large bare area invites erosion on a slope. This project will treat weeds in smallish areas (about 5m x 5m) and then revegetate them. In future years, our group will tackle the areas in between these small areas. The overall aim is to increase the area with a viable over-storey with no or few woody weed species present.

Friends of Williams Roads Beach

Ongoing Foreshore Habitat Restoration/Enhancing Scout Understanding of Site

Progressing 18 years of ongoing restoration in 3.4 hectares of foreshore habitat (Vulnerable and/or Endangered Ecological Vegetation Classes or EVCs) this project will involve skilled bush regenerators in restoring steep areas. Work will involve spraying and manual removal of re-emerging woody weeds, scrambler weeds and annual weeds and then planting indigenous species on the areas treated in 2021. The project will also deliver new foreshore signage and education session for scouts.

Friends of Flinders Coastline Inc.

Flinders MPNP Coastal Rehabilitation Community Engagement Project

This Bushland Regeneration Project is an extension of work undertaken along the coastline between West Head and King Street since 2004. Work has involved woody and herbaceous weeding allowing regeneration of local native flora with strategic planting, particularly of grasses. This project will extend our work further toward Double Creek whilst continuing ongoing maintenance in previously treated and planted areas. Funds will allow us to continue to engage our longstanding contractor.

Beach Patrol 3280-3284

Bottles Overboard

Foreign bottles and packaging discarded from passing international ships are regularly collected off South West beaches. This project addresses this issue through:

1) Education and public awareness of foreign marine debris using social media platforms.

2) Collecting, auditing, and recording the types of foreign bottles washing up on our shores.

3) Engaging Narrawong and Portland beach walkers to join the ‘Bottles Overboard’ project.

4) Developing of a user-friendly identity kit that downloads as a PDF.

5) Collating data into a report to engage relevant stakeholders on appropriate source reduction.

6) Creating a campaign strategy to address the problem.

Stream 2: Strengthening Our Volunteer Groups (marine and coastal volunteering)

To build community capacity and support community adaptation to climate change through actions which:

  • Expand, diversify and increase inclusivity of volunteer bases e.g. encourage participation of volunteers from different backgrounds, cultures, nationalities, abilities and youth
  • "Reimagine volunteering" to attract more/ different volunteers e.g. flexible, casual, event-based or short-term volunteering
  • Improve volunteer recruitment and retention
  • Succession planning for your group.
OrganisationProject
Victorian National Parks Association

Phillip Island Great Victorian Fish Counts

This project will deliver four Great Victorian Fish Count events at Phillip Island and design and purchase shirts for participants in the 17th Great Victorian Fish Count (FishCount). Phillip Island contains internationally significant wetlands, seals, whales, dolphins and plenty of fish. However, few FishCounts have documented its amazing fish. We will engage with local groups and Melbourne’s biggest online snorkelling community to recruit volunteers for the FishCount on Phillip Island in 2022 and into the future. Snorkellers count fish using identification slates, the data collected is entered into BioCollect and compiled into an annual report provided to marine managers throughout the state.

Phillip Island Land Alliance (PILA)

Phillip Island Land Alliance

The Phillip Island Land Alliance (PILA) is a collaborative group of twelve community based environmental, land and coastal care groups, each with long and sustained beneficial works supporting Phillip Island environmental repair, restoration. PILA will tackle common issues and threats and extend to the wider community who live and work here. PILA seek to form effective alliance governance, structure and goals through four workshops in 2022-23. This will provide immediate opportunities for information exchange between members and public access to environmental information through a collaborative PILA website.

Friends of the Prom Inc

Development of a Group Strategic Plan for Future Volunteer Capacity

With the announcement of the Prom sanctuary, Wilsons Promontory National Park is at an exciting point in time. As the local Friends group, Friends of the Prom (FoTP), is looking to position itself to take advantage of the many opportunities which will be created by this important project. In order to best meet the future needs of the FoTP, we are seeking the assistance of a professional facilitator to guide our group in discussion on devising a group strategic plan. Key to these discussions will be the need to improve volunteer diversity, and encouraging volunteers into key governance roles.

Friends of the Great South West Walk

Volunteer Safety, Recognition and Acknowledgment

Our 100 volunteers put in over 4,000 hours each year in maintaining the Great South West Walk (GSWW). This includes coastal erosion control, revegetation, education, signage, and ensuring the track is keep in a standard so that it can be enjoyed by people of diverse abilities and fitness levels. Without the volunteers the track would not exist and attracting and retaining them is a key objective in the organisation. This project will provide a standardised PPE work uniform which identifies our volunteers as a GSWW volunteer so that they can be safe, identify as part of a team and take pride in their volunteer activity.

Tangaroa Blue Foundation

Supporting Marine and Coastal Volunteers

This project will support the local Warrnambool community and volunteers to continue clean-up efforts and contribute data to the Australia Marine Debris Initiative. Marine debris is a major environmental issue and while there are many committed community groups and individuals in the local area who undertake beach and estuary clean-ups, the data from these efforts are not always being captured and therefore their efforts are not being measured or monitored to determine the source of the litter and effectiveness of the clean-ups. This project will build on the existing datasets from the local area and include new data collection and action planning that will be replicable and useful in future projects.

2021-22 Coastcare Victoria Community Grants recipients

Coastcare Victoria have awarded a record 32 grants worth nearly $610,000 through the 2021 Coastcare Victoria Community Grants program. The program has provided both small and large grants which contribute to the three pillars of Coastcare Victoria: Marine and Coastal Stewardship, Thriving Marine and Coastal Community Groups and Networks, and Victorians Valuing the Coast. Our three funding streams this year are outlined below with the successful recipients.

The Coastcare Victoria Community Grants Program funds community organisations to protect and enhance the coastal and near-shore marine environment. The 2021 grants program is funded by the Victorian Government’s Sustainability Fund and the Victorian Great Outdoors Initiative, which seek to build community capacity, support community adaptation and improve ecosystem resilience to climate change.

Congratulations to all recipients. The quality and volume of applications received despite this challenging year for volunteering, highlights the unwavering commitment and passion shown by our coastal and marine volunteer groups.

Stream 1: Stewardship and Education
To build community capacity, support community adaptation and improve ecosystem resilience to climate change through actions which:
  • Conserve, rehabilitate, restore and protect Victoria’s coastal and marine ecosystems
  • Support community participation, engagement and education to enhance community knowledge and understanding of coastal and marine management
OrganisationProject
Apollo Bay Ocean Care

Marengo coastal rehabilitation and community workshops

Apollo Bay Ocean Care (ABOC) is a newly established conservation, education and citizen science group based in the southern Otways. This grant will support workshops on shell identification, seaweed identification, fish identification and Indigenous cultural use of the area as well as efforts to support and maintain coastal biodiversity through revegetation, environmental weed control and rubbish collection around the Marengo Reefs Marine Sanctuary. Our group will conduct beach shell surveys, and develop marine identification booklets for the community to use while snorkeling at Marengo Reefs MS.

Beach Patrol 3280-3284

Washed Up: citizen science research, education, information and communications

This project aims to educate the public about our localised marine debris issues and communicate the work of Beach Patrol 3280-3284. Our marine debris stories will be communicated through videos, infographics, and reports. Our group has uploaded data for over 1,000 beach clean-ups since 2017. This has generated detailed records of 300,000+ plastic items providing a unique 36-month data set.

Breamlea Coastcare

Fostering Saltmarsh Habitat in the Breamlea Flora and Fauna Reserve

The purpose of this project is to address an invasive weed threat to the Breamlea Saltmarsh and engaging as many residents as possible in understanding and implementing a solution.

Camberwell Girls Grammar School

#stoptheNPseastars

To spread awareness on the Northern Pacific sea stars and their damage to the Bay we aim to educate people on its identification and compare native sea star species with the physical appearance of the Northern Pacific sea stars. As a consequence we hope to prevent the death of our native species. We are also promoting EarthCare St Kilda’s removal program.

Corinella Foreshore Reserve Committee of Management

Reducing Pest Pressures on Corinella Foreshore Reserve

This Project will reduce pest plant infestations and pest animal grazing pressures on the significant RAMSAR and marine coastline of Corinella. This will enhance the habitat viability for threatened flora and fauna species, remove erosion pressures cause by rabbits and weed species and protect environmentally and culturally significant sites from disturbance.

Deakin University

Revealing the habits of Port Phillip Bay’s iconic spider crabs

Spider crabs (Leptomithrax gaimardii) form massive aggregations within Port Phillip Bay (PPB), are an important ecotourism attraction, and may help regulate introduced pests (e.g. Northern Pacific seastars). Time-lapse cameras will be deployed to obtain digital images at different known spider crab aggregation sites. Citizen scientists will analyse the data and this will be correlated with environmental factors to allow us to understand the factors triggering the aggregations.

Eagle Point Landcare Coastcare Group

Weeds Be Gone

Our goal is to preserve and protect the natural values of the Eagle Point Conservation Reserve and surrounds. A critical goal of the Eagle Point Landcare Coastcare Group strategy management plan is to effectively manage weeds.

French Island Landcare Group

Habitat rehabilitation on French Island's South coast

Prior to being grazed the south coast of French Island was a pristine environment with indigenous species growing profusely. Since the late 1980s, Parks Victoria have negotiated with landowners to fence the coastal strip to exclude livestock. This project will extend on from the previously restored areas by undertaking weed control and replanting of indigenous species along the South Coast.

Friends of Chinamans Creek Inc

Supporting the Swamp Skink and Coast Banksia Woodland 2021-2022

This project aims to support threatened flora and fauna species Swamp Skink (Lissolepis coventryi) and Coast Banksia Woodland and to assist in the mitigation of coastal erosion at the mouth of Chinaman’s Creek in Rosebud on the Mornington Peninsula. Project works include weed control, infill revegetation and dune erosion control planting, and reinstatement of exclusion fencing to reduce access to the mouth of Chinamans Creek.

Friends of Sorrento Foreshore - affiliated with the Nepean Conservation Group Inc Group

Sorrento Foreshore Rehabilitation Project

This project aims to enhance the iconic Sorrento Foreshore by addressing the proliferation of environmental noxious, mostly woody, weeds and rubbish as well as revegetation to further enhance the species diversity of the site and protect the fragile dune headland.

Friends of the Bluff

Living on the Edge Reimagined

Following establishment of Barwon Bluff Marine Sanctuary in 2002, Friends of the Bluff, Barwon Heads developed the Living on the Edge website (www.barwonbluff.com.au) and educational CD Rom. These have been widely utilised as tools for raising community awareness of the values of the Marine Sanctuary. This project will ensure that the website continues to meet its purpose by restoring full functionality to the website and updating content after consultation with local community, schools and with agency partners and traditional owners groups.

Friends of the Hooded Plover Far West Victoria

Community stewardship - acting to protect Hooded Plovers in the West

The project will work in conjunction with community, BirdLife Australia and land managers to address major threats impacting Hooded Plover habitats in western Victoria. It will carry out critical nest site protection to reduce the impacts of human recreation, at sites between Warrnambool and Yambuk though a Site Protector Mentorship program to increase capacity and improve response times for nest protection in addition to weed management.

Jawbone Marine Sanctuary Care Group

Diverse Communities: Sea, Look and Learn Program

Sea, Look and Learn is targeted to students and their families who don’t usually have any connection with Port Phillip Bay. On-water, marine focussed excursions are provided to 600 marginalised community members from asylum seeker groups and culturally diverse schools. On Kororoit Creek they will take part in tree planting, water testing and habitat surveys. At Jawbone Marine Sanctuary they will take part in curriculum activities designed to build their knowledge of the marine environment, and conduct surveys using a range of scientific methods.

Marine Care Ricketts Point

Engaging community to manage overabundant urchins at Ricketts Point MS

Overabundant native urchin reduction in RPMS by MCRP and other qualified community members with assistance from VNPA SCUBA leaders and commercial divers, overseen by Parks Victoria.

McCrae Homestead Coastal Group Inc

Protecting the ecosystems and biodiversity of the McCrae foreshore

As well as continued stewardship in maintaining established sites, the project will restore and protect a dune area subject to active erosion and vulnerable to inundation through weed removal, mulching and revegetation.

Merricks Beach Foreshore Committee of Management

Restoring understorey diversity in endangered Grassy Woodland

Grassy Woodland is an endangered Ecological Vegetation Class in the Gippsland Plains Bioregion. Small, fragmented patches have generally lost most of their understorey wildflowers and are subject to weed invasion.
This project will undertake weed control to restore the native grassy understorey of native vegetation and revegetate the sites with locally rare wildflowers. Wildflowers will be propagated in a seed production area (SPA) we will establish to reduce the need for wild collecting by producing high viability seed in a controlled nursery environment.

Mornington & District Historical Society Inc (c/o Fossil Beach Interest Group)

Interpretation & Conservation Package: Fossil Beach Mornington

Increased public interest and visitation at the Fossil Beach Historic Area requires interpretative tools to assist the four pre-existing information signs in the precinct. This will assist site protection, improve visitor safety, plus increase public awareness of the site's significant features for future conservation purposes.

Ocean Grove Primary School

Ocean Plastic Pollution Education and Prevention Strategies

This project is one aspect of the Resource Smart Schools Program and will focus on waste management within the coastal zone with the aim of reducing student and community impact on the natural environment.
The project includes incursions focussing on ocean pollution, plastic pollution prevention strategies including waste management and waste repurposing; and an onsite recycling collection station.

Phillip Island Nature Parks

Scenic Estate Erosion Remediation and Vegetation Improvement

Scenic Estate Reserve (SER) is a newly established conservation reserve on Phillip Island. This project will provide an opportunity to assess current threats by mapping weeds and outlining a set of recommendations to prioritise on ground works. Revegetation works to complement existing plantings including re-establishing Moonah woodland and the implementation of erosion control measures will also be undertaken.

Seaside Scavenge

The Rye Seaside Scavenge

Seaside Scavenge is a grassroots environmental organisation which believes that our unsustainable consumption of the earth's resources is polluting the environment and contributing to climate change.
This project will deliver a waste education event where litter collected by participants from Rye beach and foreshore is sorted and becomes a currency in a pop-up market to purchase pre-loved clothes and other goods that have been donated by the local community. The event will also include workshops and talks from local groups working in waste reduction and environmental conservation. The litter collected at the event will be sorted and recorded in the Tangaroa Blue national database of marine debris.

Tambo Bluff Landcare Coastcare

2021 Tambo Bluff War on Weeds

Tambo Bluff is home to a remnant littoral rainforest. Tambo Bluff Landcare Coastcare has reduced weed biomass by > 90% following 28 years of work. Funding is sought in order to support volunteer weeding efforts by having a contractor following up in mid/late 2022 to treat any re-emerging invasive weeds.

Tarwin Landcare Group

Protection & restoration of the coastal foreshore at Andersons Inlet

This project will deliver the planting 500 mangrove seedlings along the southern foreshore of Anderson Inlet to mitigate erosion, conserve and enhance habitat for biodiversity and store carbon. A permanent interpretative sign, new webpage and community information session will raise awareness of the role mangroves play in a healthy coastal ecosystem. Monthly water monitoring will produce data to identify potential impacts on mangrove health and establish benchmarks for future water monitoring programs.

Werribee River Association

Restoration Plantings at Grahams Wetlands Project

The Restoration at Grahams Wetlands Project will deliver restoration and shoreline erosion plantings, citizen science monitoring, community engagement events, use communication tools to further educate and raise awareness of the value of the saltmarsh ecosystem, revive the Friends of Werribee South, and seek to build capacity for ongoing work in coast care in partnership with various stakeholders.

Wye to Wongarra Landcare Group

Sea Spurge Removal at Kennett River

Revegetation and weed control on the dune system at Kennett River by community volunteers.

Stream 2: Strengthening Our Volunteer Groups (marine and coastal volunteering)

To build community capacity and support community adaptation to climate change through actions which:

  • Expand, diversify and increase inclusivity of volunteer bases (e.g. encourage participation of volunteers from different backgrounds, cultures, nationalities, abilities and youth)
  • “Reimagine volunteering” to attract more/ different volunteers e.g. flexible, casual, event-based or short term volunteering
  • Improve volunteer recruitment and retention
  • Succession planning for your group
OrganisationProject
Bairnsdale Urban Landcare Group

Small numbers making a big difference

With more than 20 years of planting along the Mitchell River, Bairnsdale Urban Landcare Group (BULGInc) has worked hard to remove exotic woody weeds (predominately Poplar species) and revegetated our urban Mitchell River frontage. To support this work, we would like to purchase a BULGInc trailer, customised for transporting water, plants, mulch and our group's gear. We would also like to purchase more group owned revegetation and weed control gear. We will also purchase 300 indigenous plants to infill and improve biodiversity and to assist our established sites become more resilient to weed infestation.

BirdLife Australia (Beach-nesting Birds Program)

Walk for a cause: Bushwalkers helping conserve coastal flagships

In Victoria, there are vast stretches of coastal habitat that are remote and only accessible via walking trails. The threatened beach-nesting Hooded Plover (Thinornis cucullatus) and coastal heath-dwelling Eastern Ground Parrot (Pezoporus wallicus) have been identified as species where data is lacking in important parts of their range. Tailored training will be provided to several bushwalking/hiking clubs on identification of these species and how to safely monitor them. The data collected by these groups will be used to improve habitat and mitigate threats.

Reef Life Survey Foundation Inc

Building a network of Reef Life Survey divers in Victoria

This project builds volunteer community skills and knowledge in coastal and marine biodiversity monitoring and provides surveys of current biodiversity and resource condition in priority coastal areas of Port Phillip Bay and surrounding reefs for 2022 and 2023.

Ventnor Coastcare Association Incorporated

Restoring the biodiversity of the Ventnor Beach Rd Foreshore Reserve

Ventnor Coastcare Association Inc (VCCA) operating on Phillip Island, aims to: 1. restore and conserve the biodiversity of the Ventnor Beach Rd Foreshore Reserve, an increasingly popular, biodiverse, coastal and marine environment; 2. increase, diversify, strengthen and retain our volunteer base; and 3. build community capacity, to make better environmental decisions and respond more effectively to the challenges of our changing climate.

Victorian National Parks Association

Snorkeling with Marine Scientists

This project will harness social media to recruit and engage volunteers though a partnership with ‘Snorkelling Melbourne Victoria’. Training of VNPA staff as snorkel instructors will allow volunteers to participate safely in marine citizen science events including The Great Victorian Fish Count (GVFC) and the Sea Slug Census (SSC). Education and engagement materials including videos will also be produced to improve volunteer recruitment.

Westgate Biodiversity: Bili Nursery & Landcare

Youth volunteering in the Melbourne Sandbelt

Westgate Biodiversity is partnering with Bayside Intrepid Landcare to diversify our volunteer base by engaging diverse, young people in coastal volunteering, with a strong focus on training and capacity building. This project combines trials of new salt marsh plant propagation techniques at our fully equipped nursery, with on-ground rehabilitation work at the remnant coastal saltmarsh of Westgate Park.

Stream 3: Supporting Traditional Owner Self-Determination Grants:
  • To support Traditional Owner capacity and support community adaptation to climate change through actions which:
  • Recognise Traditional Owners longstanding and deep knowledge and connection to Country
  • Recognise and support Traditional Owners’ role in leading healing and ongoing care and use of Country
  • Support Traditional Owners in restoring marine and coastal cultural knowledge and practice
  • Support two-way capability and capacity building to improve the effectiveness of working relationships and build a shared understanding between Traditional Owners and other marine and coastal land managers.
OrganisationProject
Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation RTNBC

Gunditjmara Nyamat Mirring

This Coastcare application is for Gunditjmara knowledge and skills workshops and trips on Nyamat Mirring. It is also to put together a book and poster to share with mob and use for education. GMTOAC have been funded by DELWP for Nyamat Mirring planning which covers the formal planning process. This application is for mob time and resources.

Tag For Life

Marine Species and Traditional Communities of Bass Strait

The project will be a partnership between Tag For Life/CSIRO and the Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation (GlaWAC) Traditional Owner organisation in Gippsland, Victoria. The initial phase will focus on relationship building that will combine the expertise of scientists with historical knowledge and traditional culture that will dovetail into both the sea ranger and research programs. The second phase of the project will be on-ground activities and training of participants from the TO groups supporting self-determination. Phase three will be evaluating and providing data to the groups for TOs to own and use for public extension programs, or as they see fit.

2020 Coastcare Victoria Community Grants recipients

In 2020, 24 grants worth a total of  $492,299.10 have been awarded through the 2020 Coastcare Victoria Community Grants program.  The program has provided up to $30,000 to community groups and educational institutions to conserve, restore and rehabilitate Victoria’s coastal and marine environments and strengthen marine and coastal volunteer groups.

The Coastcare Victoria Community Grants Program funds community projects in coastal areas to support community adaptation and improve ecosystem resilience to climate change.

Congratulations to all recipients.  The volume and quality of applications received highlights the commitment, innovation and passion shown by coastal volunteer groups to make lasting improvements to our coastline.

Category 1: Stewardship and Education
To build community capacity, support community adaptation and improve ecosystem resilience to climate change through actions which:
  • Conserve, rehabilitate, restore and protect Victoria’s coastal and marine ecosystems
  • Support community participation, engagement and education to enhance community knowledge and understanding of coastal and marine management in the face of climate change
ORGANISATIONPROJECT
Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation

Convincing Ground restoration project

Restoration of a tract of land that was Traditionally the clan lands of the Kilcarrer Gunditj where a Convincing Ground massacre took place following conflict with whalers.  Restoring the health of the land by removing rubbish, identifying possible cultural heritage sites, invasive weed removal and revegetation.  “The project will get our mob on Country…to educate ourselves and the wider community…the area needs to be healed and this can only be done by us”.

Mornington Environment Association and subgroup Friends of Mills Beach

Coastal Woodland Rehabilitation - Red Bluff and Mills Beach

Continue the rehabilitation of important coastal woodland along one of Mornington's most popular foreshore areas through maintenance, weed control, re-establishing native habitat, education and engagement and increasing pride in the local environment through interpretive signage.

Phillip Island Landcare Group

Phillip Island Coastcare Blitz - Collaboration, engagement, training and action

Bringing together Coastcare and Coast Action groups across Phillip Island in collaboration with Phillip Island Nature Parks, Bass Coast Shire Council and Phillip Island Landcare Group to inspire, engage, educate and facilitate community working bees along the coast.

Australian Marine Mammals Conservation Foundation

Marine Mammals Connecting Communities

Expanding the unique community education program, Marine Litter Project, with public awareness events to create greater understanding of local marine environmental values, demonstrating how we can all make positive differences. Travelling along the coast with the interactive ‘BurraVan’ display trailer.

Birdlife Australia

Birds n Bickies: Communities Conserving Migratory Shorebirds

Shorebird Monitoring citizen science program that raises awareness of shorebirds and their habitat and encourages the community to participate in gathering information needed to conserve shorebirds across Victoria.

Tangaroa Blue Foundation

Let’s Strain The Drains – Warrnambool

The first stormwater debris monitoring project in Warrnambool (just the second in Victoria) builds on existing local beach clean-up data by analysing stormwater drain data to help identify the source of litter on beaches and reduce litter at the source.

Ocean Grove Coastcare Group

Bin the Butt

A pilot project in collaboration with Barwon Coast Committee of Management and the City of Greater Geelong to address over-representation of cigarette butt litter along the Ocean Grove coastline.  Combines installation and monitoring of cigarette butt bins, distribution of personal butt bins and community awareness/education activities.

Friends of the Hooded Plover (Mornington Peninsula) Inc

Avoiding a murder: training ravens to leave beach-nesting birds alone

Investigating a non-lethal raven management technique widely used in the northern hemisphere by conditioning taste aversion through exposure to treated artificial eggs to advance beach-nesting bird conservation efforts across coastal Victoria.

Friends of Beleura Cliff Path

Re-vegetation of Beleura Cliff Path - Stage three

Achieving a dense strip of deep-rooted, long lived indigenous trees, shrubs and grasses down the length of Beleura path using indigenous seed-bombs.

Lake Tyers Coast Action Inc

Living Bung Yarnda: water quality monitoring and knowledge sharing at Lake Tyers

Establishing a citizen science water quality monitoring program in Bung Yarnda (Lake Tyers) East Gippsland. incorporating different ways of seeing and knowing place across cultures and generations through the collection of stories, anecdotes, photographs and artworks and assisting in the ongoing management of the lake.

Bass Valley Landcare Group

Multi-faceted Mangrove Management in the Bass Valley

Combining environmental research and monitoring with direct on-ground action to achieve the most effective results for restoration of Mangrove Shrubland EVC in the Bass Valley.

RMIT University

Litter Trackers - 'Burbs to the Bay

Releasing GPS tracked bottles into suburban waterways to track the journey of litter from catchments to coasts.  Educating communities and school children about the life of litter and gathering reliable, scientifically relevant data about litter depositional zones and transport rates.

Jawbone Marine Sanctuary Care

Fostering our future with Blue Carbon: A local approach

Developing a blue carbon program to increase understanding and local conservation of blue carbon systems (Mangroves, seagrass and saltmarsh) within the Jawbone Marine Sanctuary through partnership with Parks Victoria, Deakin University, Blue Carbon Lab, Hobsons Bay Wetland Centre, Mangrove Watch, Victorian National Parks Association, and Friends of Williamstown Wetlands.

Friends of the Prom

Restore Hooded Plover Habitat at Picnic Bay

Extending the successful Squeaky Beach sea spurge eradication and Hooded Plover habitat restoration to Picnic Bay through chemical spraying and volunteer hand-weeding.

Swinburne University of Technology

Healthy Rivers, Healthy Bay: Western Port

Raising community awareness within four Local Government Areas surrounding Western Port to instil a sense of ownership and environmental stewardship through student workshops and citizen science activities (water quality monitoring and litter surveys) and conserving and enhancing 70Ha of catchment and coastal areas.

South West Environmental Education Inc

Fawthrop Lagoon Restoration and Revegetation Project

Tackling environmental issues impacting on the integrity of the Lagoon Project area and its estuarine environs with a community driven program of working bees and planting days.  Fish and other fauna within the Lagoon will benefit from the restored riparian zone and improved water quality.

French Island Landcare Group Inc

Habitat rehabilitation on French Islands south coast

Restoring native vegetation with weed control and replanting indigenous species, extending previously restored areas.

Rhyll Coast Action Inc

The Blue Periwinkle Project

Rehabilitating and conserving an otherwise relatively healthy part of the southern Rhyll coastline by controlling a large infestation of Blue Periwinkle.

Australian Plants Society - Warrnambool & District Group

Plants of the Great South West Third Edition

Production and Printing of a third edition of the popular book "Plants of the Great South West" which contains photographs and full descriptions of plants in south west Victoria.  The new edition will include 116 extra species and in total 130 rare and endangered plants along with over 50 environmental weeds.

Category 2: Strengthening Our Volunteer Groups (marine and coastal volunteering)

To build community capacity and support community adaptation to climate change through actions which:

  • Expand, diversify and increase inclusivity of volunteer bases (e.g. encourage participation of volunteers from different backgrounds, cultures, nationalities, abilities and youth)
  • “Reimagine volunteering” to attract more/ different volunteers e.g. flexible, casual, event-based or short term volunteering
  • Improve volunteer recruitment and retention
  • Succession planning for your group
ORGANISATIONPROJECT

Port Phillip EcoCentre

Multicultural Bay Ambassadors and Multifaith Coastcare

Engaging culturally and linguistically diverse communities who may face language or logistical barriers to joining Coastcare activities including introduction to marine and coastal volunteering, multilingual animations and field training internships to four Multicultural Bay Ambassadors.

Balcombe Estuary Reserves Group Mt Martha

Moving Forward - Building BERG Mt Martha's Capacity to Grow

Succession planning and mentoring the next wave of volunteer leaders to improve the capacity of individuals and the organisation to be innovative using the Look Outwards, Not Inwards (LONI) approach.

South Gippsland Conservation Society Incorporated (SGCS)

SGCS renewal - planning for the future

Engaging consultants to support SGCS to review its current position and develop a written plan for moving forward. The Society is a significant resource, supporting conservation in the region and desperately needs to refresh both its vision, its management and its membership in order to continue to fulfil this role.

The Sanctuary Mallacoota Youth Group and Friends of Mallacoota

Wilderness Coast Project - Sanctuary Youth Group and Friends of Mallacoota

Increase and enrich the understanding, interest and connection that young people have to the unique SE Victorian coastline through on-ground land management activities and mentorships and maintaining community spirit as locals continue to heal following the recent bushfires.

Bellarine Catchment Network

Blue Volunteers: towards an active, diverse and resilient Coastcare community

Expand and diversify coastal volunteer base by pioneering innovative methods and new partnerships with scouts, Aboriginal groups, multicultural organisations and more.  Projects will development resources and activities to assist youth and people from different backgrounds, cultures and nationalities to increase their engagement and on-ground action in coastal and marine environments.

2019 Coastcare Victoria Community Grants recipients

ORGANISATIONPROJECT
Beach Patrol 3280Stop the POP (Plastic Ocean Pollution)
Bellarine Bayside Foreshore Committee of ManagementNorthern Bellarine Red-Capped Plover Community Education
Bellarine Catchment NetworkCreating our Future Coast-carers
Bellarine Landcare GroupCoastal and Inland Plants: Booklets for the Bellarine Peninsula
Earthcare St Kilda Inc.St Kilda Penguin Visitor App
East Gippsland Rainforest Conservation Management NetworkChinaman's Creek Rainforest Recovery
Frankston Beach Association Inc.Wells Street to Beach Street Foreshore Rehabilitation Project
Friends of Beware ReefImproving marine species video footage
Friends of Chinamans Creek Inc.Chinamans Swamp Skink Habitat Restoration Project
Friends of Earimil Bluff (MEAFEC)Protecting, extending and interpreting biodiverse botanical reference area Earimil Bluff
Friends of Flinders Coastline Inc.Coastal Flinders Restoration Project
Friends of MallacootaRehabilitate Gabo Island
Friends of the Prom Inc.Sea Spurge Removal Stage 2: Restoring Hooded Plover Habitat at Squeaky Beach
Friends of Williams Roade Beach (Mt. Eliza Association for Environmental Care)Furthering resilience at steep locations & enhancing site understanding of scouts, Mt. Eliza Foreshore
Gippsland Plains CMNEagle Point enhancement and education
Harmers Haven Residents & Ratepayers Group — Friends of Harmers HavenEradicating Cape Honey Flower at Harmers Haven
Harmers Haven Residents & Ratepayers Group — Friends of Harmers HavenContinuation of Successful Sea Spurge Control on Primary Dunes at Harmers Haven
Jan Juc Coast ActionCaring for Jan Juc's heathlands
Killarney Coastcare GroupBelfast Coastal Reserve Spring Planting 2019
Making a Difference for the Merri (MAD) Landcare groupWoollen Mill Riparian Restoration - Merri River
McCrae Homestead Coastal Group Inc.Protecting Coastal Banksia woodland and revegetating degraded spaces- McCrae foreshore
MESAC - Marine Education Science and Community Centre Inc.MESAC - Who are we and why are we important to our oceans and community?
NGSC Green Action ProjectThe Green Action Project/ North Geelong Secondary School
Safety Beach Foreshore Landscape Committee Inc.Coast Care Safety Beach 2019/20
South West Environmental Education Inc.Fawthrop Lagoon Restoration and Revegetation Project
Torquay Landcare Group Inc.Spring Creek our hidden jewel
Victorian National Parks AssociationGreat Victorian Fish Count
Victorian Wader Study Group Inc.Sustaining long-term studies of waders and terns in South East Australia
Warrnambool Coastcare Landcare NetworkThunder Point Coastal Reserve Conservation Project 2019